The Rookies Bar Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 145-147, Amsterdam

Street	Korte Leidsedwarsstraat
District	Southern Main Canals
Town	Amsterdam
Province	Noord Holland
Postcode	1017 PZ
Telephone	0031 (0)20 6390978
Open	Sun-Thu 13:00-01:00, Fri & Sat 13:00-03:00
Map	Amsterdam Map ref: C10
e-mail	mark@rookies.nl
"Official" Site	www.channels.nl/amsterdam/rookies.html and www.rookies.nl

	Description

	25 1 1 Comments

Matthew from England. Visited 14-18 Feb. Sent 22 Feb 2005.
I love this place, an English man's paradise. Great atmos, half decent tunes every now and again (In general the music in Amsterdam's coffee shops is rubbish, these days your average toker doesn't listen to thumping dance music!) I actually heard Massive Attack.

Robin from UK. Sent 5 Jan 2005.
The pub-like, beer-serving atmosphere suited my more alcohol friendly companions. Nice atmosphere and pretty good weed, our first holiday spliff left us staring inanely for 20 mins whilst trying to stop our hearts from jumping out of our mouths. Then the giggling started. Do not be put off by the phrase pub like, I definitely mean it in the old sense of the word not like the theme pub vibe you get from Grasshopper and Bulldog. We all had a good time there and despite visiting other coffeeshops this is where we would return for the laid back yet bustling atmosphere. Window seats were best.

Jonathan from USA. Sent 11 Dec 2004.
This is a real "bar" feeling kind of place. It has a very large bar on one wall serving all kinds of hot and cold drinks, including beer. The atmosphere is much different than a lot of other coffeeshops. If you're looking to go to a place, just like any bar, and have a beer, but instead also smoke a spliff then check this one out.

Winterdam Boyz from UK. Visited 10/12 Nov 04. Sent 19 Nov 2004.
More of an English style pub than a mongy coffeeshop, still a good ambience in there. There was some building work being done outside so you could possibly walk right past the place without realising it's there! Still a good smoke and the pool table's only 1 euro a pop. A very extensive souvenir shop across the street is well worth checking out, for both Rookies and non-rookies stuff to take home and impress your mates. A good all rounder especially if some of you wanna drink and some wanna smoke.

Mary from USA. Visited 2-8 Nov. Sent 9 Nov 2004.
Rookies is and always will be my home base while in Amsterdam! Best pre-rolled Northern Lights (with or without 'bacco) ever. I was stocking up daily on the NL while sampling other shops! I probably smoked more Northern Lights from there than any other shops combined. It is getting harder to find pre-rolled joints that are straight 100% weed. So far Rookies still offers both.

Patrick from USA. Visited March '04. Sent 6 Nov 2004.
I got really bad vibes from this shop. From the time we entered, to the time we left it seems that all eyes were on us. Made all of us feel unwelcomed. It was one of the largest shops we visited. Had two pool tables that were always in use.

Tom from England. Sent 19 Oct 2004.
This is the best most lively coffeeshop in Amsterdam all the staff were sound, they had a good atmosphere and if anyone has ever heard of a band called fishbone I met em in here.

Lee and Deb from South Africa. Sent 17 Oct 2004.
A handy place to go for a last minute skyf before the Mike Bike tour.

Craig from UK. Sent 6 Oct 2004.
The Nepali Temple Ball from here has pretty much fixed itself to the shopping list for all future trips. A personal favourite, I think more for the flavour than anything, but a good quality smoke at a decent price. This place blends both the coffee shop and bar/pub characteristics well enough to create a good social atmosphere.

Pipo from Switzerland. Sent 9 Sep 2004.
There is a nice ambience and a friendly atmosphere that makes you feel relax and well-adjusted. The weed is excellent and you can also drink beers (that is not allowed in every coffeeshop).

Craig from UK. Sent 26 Aug 2004.
More of a smoke friendly bar than a coffee shop this place but still really cool to spend some time here. Had a few beers and a game of pool and everyone seemed pretty friendly. Didn't buy anything here but came back a couple of times for the lively atmosphere.

Sebazz from France. Sent 13 Aug 2004.
Cool place near Leidsplein. The barmaid is very very cool the weed is quite good and there's a pool. Had funny times with Dutchmen and English playin' and smokin'. Recommended by all the guys I know who get there.

SummerDam Boys from UK. Visited 30/07/04. Sent 9 Aug 2004.
This place has a more British pub style ambience to it, with the difference that you can skin up in here! The goods are pretty good too, we bought some Moroccan hash here which packed quite a punch. We arrived in Rookies after a sesh sitting in the Vondelpark, and chilling out in here on a baking hot Friday afternoon is certainly better than being in work! For some reason every girl that walked through the door was stunning, so we just had to stay till it was whitey o’clock. The pool table’s only 1 euro a go too.

Remik from Poland. Sent 6 May 2004.
This is great place, but I didn't have too much time to stay there. I liked this place very much. I think this is the best grass I've ever smoked, I think it was called Super Silver Haze but I'm not sure. I smoked it with my friends in other coffee shops, but I don't remember its name :( I think that Rookies is one of the best coffee shops in Amsterdam, but I will have to compare it with others :)

Natalie from England. Visited 12-14 Mar 04. Sent 15 Mar 2004.
The atmosphere is very welcoming - unlike some places where you first walk in and feel like all eyes are on you. The music was good and I was able to tap my feet to most of the tunes. You can buy pre-rolled joints either pure or with tobacco, whatever tickles your fancy really. I quite liked the idea that with every purchase, you also get a little 'joint holder' - very useful if you want to save your joint for later and not worry about it getting damaged. The staff were very friendly. They know the possible effects of smoking and advise you to go easy at first by taking a few drags to begin with, leave it for a few minutes, then if you feel fine, well puff, puff away! One lady wasn't so lucky as I saw her collapse. All was fine though, the staff routinely carried her outside for some fresh air and brought her over a glass of water. All in all, a great place - go check it out!

Gasper from England. Sent 18 Feb 2004.
A lot of British people like The Rookies because of it's 'pub' feel. It's very much like a British pub except for you can buy and smoke weed. The staff are usually very friendly and helpful and their souvenir shop is across the street. It also has a pool table. It's quite well laid out although I've never rated their smoke. A good one if you're feeling home sick.

Gaz from UK. Visited New Year 03. Sent 5 Jan 2004.
Rookies was by far my favourite coffeeshop because you could drink quality beer, buy quality hash and listen to quality tunes. The staff were very friendly and I got some great Victory skunk which brought us all up to a beautiful high!

Doody from USA. Sent 12 Nov 2003.
I literally stumbled upon an old friend from the USA one afternoon while around the Leidseplein area, near "Rookies". He and his wife were at a cafe terras table, I was walking down the street not seeing them, and I heard this, "No way.......Doody?" I turned and we both started laughing. He then directed me to "Rookies" and said he would be there in a moment. "Rookies" is very nice inside, a sort of brown bar interior, lots of wood and a warm feeling. They have outside terras tables, but it started to rain so we went inside to enjoy our smoke. I don't know what my mate bought for us to smoke, but it was very good tasting and did the job for all of us. I do highly recommend their Northern lights joints, I got one for the road. I really enjoyed smoking there with the laid back atmosphere, good music and good friends. They also have a bar, coffee drinks, energy drinks etc., a juke box, slot machine games, and chess boards and bongs to use. They also have a hotel with very nicely priced rooms. A very laid back place in a busy part of town, perfect for an afternoon in the rain, or outside in the sunshine, 3 stars.

Mary from USA. Sent 19 Sep 2003.
My absolute favorite. Rookies is close to my hotel and I just love the pre-rolled Northern Lights!!!!!

Michelle from UK. Sent 16 Sep 2003.
Nice little place serving alcohol, apparently it is meant to resemble a Dutch brown bar, its more like your Brit Pub with dark a pool table and just that pub feel about it.

TG from UK. Sent 20 Jul 2003.
I have been in this coffeeshop probably more than any other in Amsterdam but don't ask me why????? It's not to do with the weed as I was not overly impressed with the green on offer or even the music but it has a homely vibe and is open until 3am on Friday and Saturday. I normally stay near Leidseplein and this is one of the best in the area (behind Rokerij) for a chilled out smoke. I'd recommend that you get your weed elsewhere (Noon or Rokerji) but take time to experience what Rookies has to offer!

Jeremy from USA. Sent 15 Jul 2003.
I've always wanted to stop by here and finally did during the Cup last year. Unfortunately it WAS during the cup and well, we all know how that sucks. The place was packed but that's okay as this is one of the larger shops you'll find. They have an excellent fully stocked bar and a great selection of both weed and hash. I'm not sure what their entry was for the Cup, but all my notes say is; GREAT, GREAT, GREAT!!! I think they have some type of head shop or souvenir shop across the street.
Probably not the best name for a bar. Every American I've ever met up with is under the same impression that this place is probably heavy on the tourism and light on that old Dutch feeling. Nothing could be farther from the truth however as it is way less touristy than those "Bulldogs" and the place does have a certain "neighborhood bar feeling" to it.
The place is huge, easily one of the largest "flats" in all of Amsterdam. A mammoth bar accounts for the right side of the shop while several tables, chairs and pool tables make up the balance. Of course you can expect full service bar here. I've heard that you can get both decent hash and weed here but have to say that I've never bought anything here besides beverages and the cup entry. Connected to its own hotel, the Rookies is a prodigious establishment.

Mark from USA. Sent 19 Feb 2003.
They have both pure and half and half, pre-rolled at the Rookies, price was reasonable, and I really liked the helpful staff they have, nice atmosphere too.

N_Mo from USA. Sent 27 Dec 2002.
The Rookies is for us pros as well ! Great h+sh in particular and, of course, budz to go with it. Don't let the title fool you...if you are just arriving in town be SURE to let the housedealer know you are just showing up. If you "overdue" your intake you may end up snoring the rest of your day off, and I prefer not to do so when just starting. This is a very nice c-shop, probably in the top 20 of all in A'dam.

Tom and Clairey from UK. Visited 9 - 12 Aug 2002. Sent 14 Aug 2002.
This coffeeshop is our personal favourite, loads of room to sit and chill, great tunes, good selection of weed and hash at decent prices, good lighting inside. A must for anyone who has never been.

B-Li from USA.
This shop, located just off a side street from the Leidseplein, has pool tables, air conditioning, a full bar and some sort of hotel all skinned into one. They also sell smoke by the gram or by the joint, with or without tobacco. I walked into the place late on a Saturday night, and it was wall to wall packed out.
I purchased a pure cannabis joint for fl 10, made from some un-disclosed form of weed. The bartender asked me if I wanted it with or without tobacco (a trend that has caught on a little more considerately with the hipper shops over the last few years), but misunderstood me and gave me one with tobacco. Luckily I caught this by smelling it as I walked down the street. After a moment or two of internally swearing, I went back in to attempt to exchange it. That's why I asked you if you wanted it pure or with tobacco, the tender replied back. Not in the mood to argue, I coughed up the extra 2.50 for a pure one and hit the road. IMHO, ten guilders is way too much for a single doobie, but it came in a nifty carrying case, was well-rolled, and burned ultra, ultra slow and nice under windy conditions outside of Schipol Airport. And it got me sufficiently baked for the two-hour wait for the voyage home. All and all, it's a spacious shop worth checking out once for novelty's sake, but not the cheapest place in town when you're looking for a pre-rolled in a pinch. Be sure and get there early on weekends, because it fills up fast.

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	Awards

		ACD rating 75% (Click here for info on ratings)
		Member of the BCD (Bond van Cannabis Detaillisten) Cannabis Retailers Assoc.
		Recommended by Joe Pauker in his book 'Get Lost!' The Cool Guide to Amsterdam

	The Rookies Bar

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